BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey—out TODAY
Summer's Biggest Secret is OUT
Dear Reader,
This is an exciting week as my co-host and co-creator of Friends & Fiction releases her novel, Beach House Rules. Being released today, Tuesday, May 27th, this novel is a delight—both witty and deeply moving. I loved it—and I bet you will, too!
Summer’s biggest secret is OUT: Beach House Rules by New York Times bestselling author—and my Friends & Fiction co-host—Kristy Woodson Harvey. Think sun-soaked secrets, tangled family drama, and rules that were meant to be broken.
Our friend Lisa Scottoline said it best: “I love, love, loved Kristy Woodson Harvey’s Beach House Rules! It’s the heartfelt and dramatic story of Charlotte and Iris Sitterly, a mother and daughter who find themselves struggling at a crossroads in their lives. They join a group of single mothers, forming a remarkable “mommune,” and through the power of friendship and love, they persevere and even triumph as a family, solving a mystery along the way. Take this book to the beach and you won’t stop turning the pages!”
Friends & Fiction favorite Shelby van Pelt declared that: “Beach House Rules will rule the beach-read season!” and Cosmopolitan crowned Kristy “queen of the beach read” and shared a sneak peek you can check out.
If you’re looking for signed first editions, they are available from Nantucket Books, South Main Book Company, and, of course, in our Friends & Fiction Subscription with Oxford Exchange. The book is also available from our Friends & Fiction shop on Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and everywhere books are sold.
Also, Kristy will be in fifteen states, and thirty-three cities, so, if she’s close to you, go cheer her on! (Isn’t that the Friends & Fiction way?!) Her full tour dates are available on her website, kristywoodsonharvey.com.
Just remember: Life doesn’t always go as planned, but sometimes the detour is where the magic happens… Step into Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey—a heartwarming tale of mothers, daughters, and the sisterhood that lifts us when the tide feels too strong. Happy beach reading!
Take a Virtual Tour of the Lake District
Also, I was so excited this week by the release of Kaelyn Grace Apple’s VLOG set in England’s Lake District. Kaelyn is a social media influencer and bookstagrammer who my publisher Atria sent on a whirlwind trip to visit the places and spaces in my new novel, The Story She Left Behind. See if you can spot some of your favorite spots from the book and let us know what you find.
Join Kaelyn on Instagram, Tik Tok, and You Tube for all of her amazing The Story She Left Behind content from the Lake District — and all of her other bookish fun!
About My Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Indie Next April 2025 Pick • LibraryReads March 2025 Pick
“Brilliant, riveting, so beautifully written, impossible to put down.” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.
In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn stunned the world with a book written in an invented language that became a national sensation when she was just twelve years old. Her departure leaves behind not only a devoted husband and heartbroken daughter, but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her landmark work. As the headlines focus on the missing author, Clara yearns for something far deeper and more insatiable: her beautiful mother.
By 1952, Clara is an illustrator raising her own daughter, Wynnie. When a stranger named Charlie Jameson contacts her from London claiming to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother’s lost language. Clara is skeptical. Compelled by the tragedy of her mother’s vanishing, she crosses the Atlantic with Wynnie only to arrive during one of London’s most deadly natural disasters—the Great Smog. With asthmatic Wynnie in peril, they escape the city with Charlie and find refuge in the Jameson’s family retreat nestled in the Lake District. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.
Told in Patti Callahan Henry’s lyrical, enchanting prose, The Story She Left Behind is a captivating novel of mystery and family legacy that captures the profound longing for a mother and the evergreen allure of secrets.
Reviews
“Brilliant, riveting, so beautifully written, impossible to put down. I wanted to know, needed to know, about the strange manuscript left to a daughter, and the odyssey it sent her on.”—Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels
“Patti Callahan Henry’s engaging, compassionate new novel honors the magical way words and stories create meaning in our often messy lives. Rooted in vivid landscapes, endearing characters, and an intriguing mystery inspired by actual historical events, The Story She Left Behind offers something for every reader. Book clubs will delight in this celebration of family, hope, forgiveness, and the tender generosity of abiding love.” —Shelley Read, International bestselling author of Go As A River
“The Story She Left Behind is an intriguing novel that reminds us that the power of love and the power of words are one and the same. Patti Callahan Henry introduces us to a missing mother, her grieving daughter and their entwined, unforgettable journeys. Inspired by an unsolved literary mystery, and layered with magical storytelling it is both real and imaginative—in the way of all great fiction. Not to be missed!”
—Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and The Frozen River
“The spectacular Patti Callahan Henry is at the height of her literary powers with The Story She Left Behind. Bronwyn's story, steeped in secrets and an unsolved family mystery, is emotional and atmospheric. The author paints the dual settings, languid South Carolina in America and the haunting Lake District of England with color and veracity. This mother-daughter story is one for the ages.”
—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
“Once again, Patti Callahan Henry proves that she is a magician with words. In her newest novel, she conjures a story that is a lovely mix of so many elements sure to please her universe of readers, a magical mosaic of adventure, suspense, romance, mystery, and even a sprinkle of make-believe. Graceful in its telling and so very wise in its insights, The Story She Left Behind is a book that will capture your heart, lift your spirits, and delight your soul.”
—William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember
With Love,
Patti
ABOUT PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY
New York Times Bestselling Author and Podcast Host
Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author of seventeen novels and a podcast host. Patti is the co-host and co-creator of the popular weekly web show, podcast, and online community, Friends & Fiction.
She lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama with her husband. Her newest novel, THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND will be released on March 18th, 2025.
Be sure to follow Patti on social media and visit her website for the latest updates and announcements!
Love Kristy's new book!